Modern Horizons 3 almost broke MTG’s infamous Reserve List 

One of MTG’s most infamous cards was at one point considered for a Modern Horizons 3 reprint. While early discussions within Wizards’ team fell through, it’s very interesting that this card – Recurring Nightmare – remains on MTG’s Reserve List. 

Magic: The Gathering’s most powerful, valuable classic cards continue to fetch an impressive price in large part thanks to the Reserve List. This small selection of cards has been removed from the possibility of seeing a reprint in any MTG set. As a result, their value among collectors is preserved. 

The Reserve List has been static for years, with the most recent change the list occurring in 2010. However, MTG Lead Designer Mark Rosewater admitted via the Expanding Your Horizons: Energy article published on June 10 that a card from the list was discussed among the Magic team with the intention of reprinting it in Modern Horizons 3. 

Recurring Nightmare has caused headaches for MTG players for years, being banned in the Commander format. The card’s power compared to its cost, easy recursion, loop potential, and destruction-dodging all combine to make a seriously formidable black mana classic.

Modern Horizons 3 has already been the center of a great deal of fan anticipation, and a classic overpowered card coming off the Reserve List would likely have sent the hype around the set into overdrive. However, Recurring Nightmare never made it into MH3. 

WotC

While Recurring Nightmare remains on the Reserved List and outside of Modern legality, a compromise was reached by the MTG team. Chthonian Nightmare, a ‘fixed’ version of Recurring Nightmare, did make it into the Modern Horizons 3 set, tying into the revamped Energy theme.

While the Reserved List remains unchanged for now, but Wizards’ willingness to update the lineup and discuss bringing a reserved card into the Modern format may see that change in future sets.